Thriller typography

All the fonts above are a typical thriller genre typography for titles of films. They all use a similar style and when the audience see the title with this style they would automatically associate with the thriller genre this is down to the conventions on thriller. The typography is simple and bold, it stands out to an audience and attracts the audience straight away. The colour schemes are usually red, white or black, the carry the connotations of danger and blood, some may be slightly blurred to give a sense of mystery. Some typography's can hint the narrative.

Analysis of The Departed

Conventions
The opening sequence of the film, is set in Boston in 1970’s time area (New York City) where violence and fighting are out of control on the streets. This is good opening to a thriller film especially for a sub-genre crime/thriller, which fits The Departed very nicely. The music is The Rolling Stones – “Gimme Shelter”

2.    Sound – the sound thought the beginning of the film uses non – diegetic sounds, to a feel for the movie and it adds to the theme of movie also. Then a slow voice over comes in with Jack Nicholson’s character with a diegetic sound of the background of the fighting and the police vans, then a music track begins with the voice over is going. There a line that’s predominately repeating within the opening of the film “war it’s just a shot away” this signifies that the movie is going to be violent involving fighting and weapons. Also theirs is a sound bridge thought out the opening of the movie; it’s the music track in the background plays between the scenes.   

Camera Techniques – the beginning shows the audience an racial tensions in Boston within the 1970’s, a medium shot use to show the fighting, then a pan shot is uses to a group of Americas with signs. There several quick cuts from the action back to fighting on the streets within the background the audience can see a man carrying the America flag, which symbolises that America in 1970’s is very violence and out of control also it shows a American wants to have human rights like rest of the people. A close-up is uses on the word “NO” painted on a bin. A establishing shot of Boston shortly after the footage of the beginning then cuts a zoom in shot of a street, the audience sees a mystery character (at this time) with black sunglasses an panning shot is uses whist he’s walking back and forwards in the shop as the camera is doing that, it’s keeping a nice medium close-up of him. Through the opening of the movie, the mystery character is also in a darker lighting to the other characters to create an enigma code for this character and to introduce him a negative light as the young version of Matt Damon’s character is in a light background and later we see the mystery character breaking into the light, using a low angle shot it shows that he’s trying to make the young character a bad guy then cuts to the tiles.     

Mise en Scene – the characters thought out the beginning of the movie is wearing 1970’s clothes baggy bottoms, pole shirts and a stranded suit for the mystery character. The setting is New York Boston 1970 is a common choice for crime/thriller films because of the events that took placed there, this also a version of the of the 1970’s at its worst time. 

Conventions of a thriller

What is a thriller film?
A genre of film that uses: suspense, tension and excitement as the 3 main elements.
Some subgenres of thriller are: mystery, crime and psychological issues.

Purpose?
A thriller is a film that provides thrills for the audience. The audience should be engaged and on the edge of their seats. The aim of a thriller is to create suspense and excitement for the audience. The narrative revolves around the investigation of an enigma.

Setting
The setting differs between the different narratives. This meas when deciding on where to set the film there is a lot of choice. Thrillers will create a sense of suspense, tension and uncertainty. They will create this effect by using different key lighting, music and shot types. Usually made up of complex narrative and false paths, clues and resolutions.

Characters
In thrillers include convicts, criminals, stalkers, assassins, down-on-their-luck losers, innocent victims (often on the run), prison inmates, menaced women, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, cops and escaped cons, fugitives, private eyes, drifters, duplicitous individuals, people involved in twisted relationships, world-weary men and women, psycho-fiends, and more. These types of character roles either help build suspense such as the resourceful hero who manages to escape near impossible situations. Or the Psychologically Insane who creates these impossible situations or just keeps suspense as the audience is unaware of what he might do next.

Narrative
The tension usually arises when the main character or characters is placed in a menacing situation or mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible. Life itself is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspecting or unknowingly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation. Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy.

Pitching film idea

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Analysis of the opening of Once upon a time in a wild west

Analysis of the opening of Once upon a time in a wild west.
Representation The opening sequence of this film is represented in Western America, this is shown through the landscapes with the different types of shots and you can hear the different accents represented with Western America within this opening. From looking at the opening you can see that they are located in a poverty area as they are shown negatively, through the way the dress and where they are located, it is also shown that through the way the elderly man selling tickets is being threatened. You can see that the film is a male dominated film, by the main characters are mainly male.

Media language I wouldn't say there is loads of media language. I would say sounds, the opening is mainly made up of tension thrilling sounds, and they do this with the sound, the lighting, the shots and the cuts. They use water droplets and humming for the tension building sounds, they use high key lighting to show the dessert which therefore establishes the location. They use iconography; using cowboy costumes, locations within a desert and the typical man cowboy thing of guns and fighting which are mainly seen in Western films.

Genre In connection with what I have just said the genre is obviously Western from the stereotypical things that occurred in the opening titles sequence, the costumes and locations suggest the genre. The music also suggests this, and then the fighting signifies this.

Narrative The opening title sequence is very slow and shows basic boring content, I am surprised at how basic the opening titles of this genre are more full on and full of action.

Audience From observing the opening titles of this film I believe the audience is male, as it is a male dominated film and I think that western films are usually towards a male target audience, this is shown through women are not usually associated with guns and fighting. I think it would be towards a middle aged man, as the younger males are not stereotypically associated with western cowboys.

Analysis of Cape Fear

Cape Fear Analysis

Cape Fear is a film which was released in 1991, it tells the story of a convicted rapist who seeks vengeance against a former public defender whom he blames for his 14-year imprisonment due to purposefully faulty defense tactics used during his trial.

Sound

Diegetic sound – The only use of diegetic sound in this clip is when the women starts speaking towards the end of the credits. The diegetic sound being used is on screen. (Diegetic sound can either be on screen or off screen, the defence is that we see the person or object making the sound on screen for on screen diegetic sound and off screen we do not see where the sound is coming from)

Non-diegetic sound – Most of the sound in these opening credits are non-diegetic. (Sound, which we do not recognise as the film world) The sound being used is a soundtrack with creepy/spooky music being played. The music sounds like it could be being played by an orchestra, as you can hear the different instruments, as more and more instruments join in the sound becomes stronger and creates more tension and suspense for the audience.

Camera shots

The camera shots in this clip are close up on the water which is what the main section of the opening credits are based on. The camera shows the water rippling and the light reflecting of it. Toward the end when the women starts to speak the camera slowly starts zooming out to reveal more of her face until you can see the top half of the body.

Lighting

The lighting is mainly used on the water rippling throughout most of the opening credits. The light is shone down on the water to enhance the ripples and to make them look smoother in the water.

Editing

Editing has been done so it looks like images/videos are reflecting in the water. This creates a scene of mystery for the audience and also makes them wonder why these images/videos are being reflected and what meaning they have in the film. Also editing has been made to the colour when the women’s face first comes on the screen the colours slowly change from red to blue until it is back to a normal face colour.

Props

There are a few props used in this film’s opening credits. The main prop being an eagle, which swoops low against the water at the beginning of the credits. The eagle is one of the images that are reflected in the water.

Credits

The credits are displayed against the water, the font imitates the water because it is split in the middle so one half of the text is slightly out of line compared to the other half imitating the ripples in the water.